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Dodgers need to put an end to the Padres’ pixie-dust routine

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The San Diego Padres.

The eyes see, but the brain won’t allow it to compute.

I said, the San Diego Padres.

That would be the first-place San Diego Padres, owners of the best record in the National League. Owners of the lowest staff ERA in all of baseball.

The same Padres who last year went 75-87 and finished 20 games back of the Dodgers.

And now they’re miraculously baseball’s new darlings?

The Dodgers should be crushing this team. Should be embarrassed to be looking up at them, five games back.

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The Padres are a team of no-names. Their lineup includes a great first baseman and seven guys you never heard of. And for good reason. They’re leading the National League West with a bunch of Triple-A players.

Their total team budget is an embarrassing $37.8 million, second-lowest in the major leagues. Manny Ramirez and Hiroki Kuroda together make only $2.4 million less.

Their rotation is missing Chris Young, their would-be ace, and it’s still currently the best in baseball. And it’s not like it’s filled with a bunch of hot, young prospects.

Only Mat Latos -- who only flirted with a perfect game Thursday against the Giants -- at age 22 is their only truly young starter. Wade LeBlanc is 25, Clayton Richard 26, Kevin Correia is 29 and Jon Garland 30.

Not exactly Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Johnny Podres and Claude Osteen.

Of course, setting the world on fire in the middle of May is not exactly the same thing as doing it in the middle of September. The Dodgers need to bring this team back to Earth, and have the perfect opportunity as they play them five times over the next seven days.

The Padres historically have been something of a pain in the butt to the Dodgers. Time to return the favor. Time to offer a lesson in reality.

The San Diego Padres?

-- Steve Dilbeck

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